'Rebuke' drove Andhra Pradesh civil Supplies official to suicide bid

NELLORE: Civil Supplies Corporation manager N Krishna Reddy who tried to commit suicide in his chamber on Monday evening allegedly faced work pressure and was ‘rebuked’ by senior officials of the department.

It may be recalled that Krishna Reddy, who is working as Civil Supplies Corporation manager in the district, had reportedly been facing a lot of work pressure due to ongoing paddy procurement in the district. He attended the review meeting held by Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy at the R&B guest house and returned to his office.

According to sources, he was irritable and tried to hang himself in the office and the employees observed this and shifted him to a corporate hospital. Employees in the office say that the senior official had been facing acute work pressure since the procurement process started in the district. Unable to manage the pressure, he tried to commit suicide.

Presently, the condition of Krishna Reddy is said to be stable. He is due for retirement in June this year. Senior officials in the Civil Supplies Department ‘rebuked’ him for buying BPT variety of paddy, which had some quality issues because of broken grains. The State government had announced Rs 210 for quintal to the millers for encouraging paddy procurement of BPT variety of paddy, which had some quality issues because of broken grains. BPT variety of paddy is having breaking nature due to fog in March.

“Farmers and leaders from the ruling TDP had been mounting pressure on the Civil Supplies Department to buy BPT variety of paddy having breaking nature, while senior officials from the department instructing not to purchase such BPT variety of paddy. How can we manage the situation at the procurement centres,” said a senior official.